Wristcutters: A Love Story
Encyclopedia
Wristcutters: A Love Story is a 2006 comedy-fantasy-romance film
written and directed by Goran Dukić
, starring Patrick Fugit
, Shea Whigham
, and Shannyn Sossamon
. It is set in a strange afterlife
way-station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide
.
It is based on Etgar Keret
's short story
"Kneller's Happy Campers". A graphic novel
version was titled Pizzeria Kamikaze.
The film was originally intended to be shot on super-16 color infrared film, which was produced specially by Kodak. The color-shifts inherent in using this kind of film were thought to enhance the parallel world
feel to the action. In the end, it proved to be too time-consuming and the film was shot using normal filmstock manipulated in post-processing
.
The film was produced on an estimated budget of $1 million and made its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
, and was distributed in limited release on October 19, 2007, before being expanded into wide release on November 2, 2007. It was released on DVD on March 25, 2008, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment
.
) commits suicide
by cutting his wrists, he finds himself in an afterlife limbo that is much the same as his former reality, just slightly worse. Here the color is dim, there are no flowers or stars, and no one can smile. This strange realm is populated by people who have committed suicide, such as Eugene (Shea Whigham
), a Russian rocker who lives with his mother (Mary Pat Gleason
), father (Anatol Rezmeritza), and brother (Cameron Bowen) – all suicide victims. He kills himself on stage by pouring a beer he is drinking onto his electric guitar
. Together they waste most of their afterlives in bars, until Zia learns from a friend (an uncredited Jake Busey
) that his ex-girlfriend, Desiree (Leslie Bibb
), has also committed suicide. He and Eugene take to the road to find her in Eugene's car, which has seen better days. Early on it is revealed that Eugene's car has two idiosyncrasies
: a sort of black hole
underneath the passenger seat where items that are dropped disappear forever and broken headlights that cannot be fixed by the most adept of mechanics. On their trip, they pick up hitchhiker Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon
), who insists there's been a mistake, and she is seeking the "people in charge" (a.k.a. the PIC) in order to be sent back.
After a few interesting adventures across the country, the trio are traveling on a desolate highway, when Mikal pushes a button, miraculously activating the broken lights on Eugene's car. Shortly thereafter, they come upon a man lying in the middle of the dark road, and must veer off the road, wrecking the car, to avoid hitting him. They discover the man, Kneller (Tom Waits
), an eccentric commune
leader of sorts, had fallen asleep while looking for his dog. He invites them back to his camp to rest for the night, where they quickly discover that minor "miracle
s" happen all the time, objects change color, people or objects float, and all "miracles" are initiated by the campers, only when they do not wish for, or care about them. The group stays with the camp longer than intended. Zia begins to obsess about the miracles, and his inability to perform them. When contrasting this to Mikal's obsession with the people in charge, she reveals the nature of the mistake. She accidentally overdosed on heroin
, with no intention of killing herself, and thus did not commit suicide. Eugene meets a young woman, Nanuk, whom he romances. Just as Mikal and Zia discuss their plans to leave Kneller's camp to resume their searches, another camper Yan (John Hawkes
) emerges from the woods with news of Kneller's dog Freddy, who he claims is being held hostage by "Messiah King" and his hundreds of followers. Kneller, Zia, Mikal, and Yan set off in search of King and Kneller's dog.
Along the way the group becomes lost, and end up bedding down for the night. Mikal and Zia, who are out gathering wood to keep a fire going, discover an ocean shore nearby, where they share a passionate night. In the morning, Kneller happens upon them lying together on the rocky shore littered with used condoms and syringes. The group continue and eventually reach King's camp, which is a large cult
compound filled with followers who are waiting for King to perform a "real" miracle – to separate his soul from his body. Kneller gains audience with King (Will Arnett
) to get his dog back, where Zia finds his ex-girlfriend, Desiree, working with King. The two steal away briefly to talk and Zia learns that Desiree became a devout follower of King's teachings after his death, eventually committing suicide to follow King into the afterlife. King starts his ritual to perform his "miracle", taking his own life, again, while in the view of all those in his camp. As he dies, Kneller is seen cryptically speaking into a device calling for backup. Initially the crowd notices what they believe are angels parachuting in; however, as they land, vans and cars pull up, and it is revealed that the "angels" are in fact the PIC. The crowd is dispersed, Messiah and Desiree are taken away, and Mikal leaves with them, calling back to Zia she'll be back in five minutes. He sits down on a small stool, waiting till dark when Eugene and his lady friend pull up in their car. The group heads to a train station, where Eugene reveals that Kneller was an undercover agent for the PIC, but his camp has now been shut down. He also explains that Mikal's story was true and that the PIC are sending her back to life. Eugene and Nanuk depart on a small train car, leaving Zia with the keys to the car.
Zia returns to the car, obviously deep in thought over Mikal. He lights a cigarette, and when he releases a burning match, it floats up towards another one floating in the sky, sent there by Mikal earlier on in Kneller's camp, the two of them forming the only two 'stars' in the night sky. Zia has finally performed a miracle. He leaves, and when he is stopped at a railroad crossing, he drops a cassette in the black hole under the seat. As the train passes, it is revealed that Zia has climbed into the hole. The film cuts to a large warehouse filled with halls of boxes, Kneller is seen picking up Zia's file from a box, placing it into his inside breast pocket, and commenting on how fortunate it is to know people in high places. The film cuts back to Zia, who wakes up in a hospital bed. He turns his head, noting his parents outside a door talking to doctors. When he looks at the person in the bed next to his, he sees Mikal. Both look at each other and smile widely.
's music forms the backbone of the soundtrack for the film; the character Eugene is partly based on the band's lead singer, Eugene Hütz
. Tom Waits
, who plays Kneller in the film, also appears on the soundtrack with the song "Dead and Lovely" (from his 2004 album Real Gone
) in the opening credits. Joy Division
's "Love Will Tear Us Apart
" and Christian Death
's "Deathwish" can be heard in the background of the first bar scene of the film (both bands were fronted by singers who have committed suicide), and an arrangement of "Gloomy Sunday
" can be heard at a later point, songs about or associated with suicide.
, which named it a "Critics' Pick" and said in part that it "has an offbeat, absurdist
charm that turns a potentially creepy concept into an odd, touching adventure." As of July 2011, the film had a 66% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
.
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
written and directed by Goran Dukić
Goran Dukic
Goran Dukić is a Croatian film director, screenwriter and actor best known for writing and directing the 2006 film Wristcutters: A Love Story.-Early life:...
, starring Patrick Fugit
Patrick Fugit
Patrick Raymond Fugit is an American actor best known for his debut performance in the lead role of Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous.-Career:...
, Shea Whigham
Shea Whigham
Franklin Shea Whigham, Jr. , best known as Shea Whigham, is an American actor notably starring as Elias "Eli" Thompson on the HBO dramatic series Boardwalk Empire.-Early life:...
, and Shannyn Sossamon
Shannyn Sossamon
Shannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon is an American actress. She starred in the film A Knight's Tale, which gained her wider fame and praise. She has since established herself in Hollywood after starring in several films such as 40 Days and 40 Nights, Wristcutters: A Love Story, and One Missed Call...
. It is set in a strange afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
way-station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
It is based on Etgar Keret
Etgar Keret
Etgar Keret is an Israeli writer known for his short stories, graphic novels, and scriptwriting for film and television.-Personal Life:Keret was born in Ramat Gan, Israel in 1967. He is a third child to parents who survived the Holocaust. He lives in Tel Aviv with his wife, Shira Geffen, and...
's short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
"Kneller's Happy Campers". A graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
version was titled Pizzeria Kamikaze.
The film was originally intended to be shot on super-16 color infrared film, which was produced specially by Kodak. The color-shifts inherent in using this kind of film were thought to enhance the parallel world
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
feel to the action. In the end, it proved to be too time-consuming and the film was shot using normal filmstock manipulated in post-processing
Video post-processing
The term post-processing is used in the video/film business for quality-improvement image processing methods used in video playback devices, , and video players software and transcoding software...
.
The film was produced on an estimated budget of $1 million and made its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
2006 Sundance Film Festival
The 2006 Sundance Film Festival was held from 19 January to 29 January 2006. It was held in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah; Ogden, Utah; and the Sundance Resort. It was the 22nd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival, and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the...
, and was distributed in limited release on October 19, 2007, before being expanded into wide release on November 2, 2007. It was released on DVD on March 25, 2008, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD distribution arm of Lions Gate Entertainment and most former Artisan Entertainment releases. Its library of more than 8000 films owes some of its size to output deals with other studios...
.
Plot
After Zia (Patrick FugitPatrick Fugit
Patrick Raymond Fugit is an American actor best known for his debut performance in the lead role of Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous.-Career:...
) commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by cutting his wrists, he finds himself in an afterlife limbo that is much the same as his former reality, just slightly worse. Here the color is dim, there are no flowers or stars, and no one can smile. This strange realm is populated by people who have committed suicide, such as Eugene (Shea Whigham
Shea Whigham
Franklin Shea Whigham, Jr. , best known as Shea Whigham, is an American actor notably starring as Elias "Eli" Thompson on the HBO dramatic series Boardwalk Empire.-Early life:...
), a Russian rocker who lives with his mother (Mary Pat Gleason
Mary Pat Gleason
Mary Pat Gleason is an American film and television actress. From 1983-85 she appeared on The Guiding Light as Jane Hogan.Since the early 1980s she has appeared on such television series as Full House, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest, L.A...
), father (Anatol Rezmeritza), and brother (Cameron Bowen) – all suicide victims. He kills himself on stage by pouring a beer he is drinking onto his electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. Together they waste most of their afterlives in bars, until Zia learns from a friend (an uncredited Jake Busey
Jake Busey
William Jacob "Jake" Busey is an American actor, musician and film producer. He is sometimes credited as "Jacob Busey" or "William Busey".-Personal life:...
) that his ex-girlfriend, Desiree (Leslie Bibb
Leslie Bibb
Leslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and former fashion model. She transitioned into film and television in late 1990s. She appeared in television shows such as Home Improvement , before she appeared in her first film, the comedy Private Parts , which was followed by her first show The Big Easy...
), has also committed suicide. He and Eugene take to the road to find her in Eugene's car, which has seen better days. Early on it is revealed that Eugene's car has two idiosyncrasies
Idiosyncrasy
An idiosyncrasy is an unusual feature of a person . The term is often used to express eccentricity or peculiarity. A synonym may be .-Etymology:...
: a sort of black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
underneath the passenger seat where items that are dropped disappear forever and broken headlights that cannot be fixed by the most adept of mechanics. On their trip, they pick up hitchhiker Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon
Shannyn Sossamon
Shannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon is an American actress. She starred in the film A Knight's Tale, which gained her wider fame and praise. She has since established herself in Hollywood after starring in several films such as 40 Days and 40 Nights, Wristcutters: A Love Story, and One Missed Call...
), who insists there's been a mistake, and she is seeking the "people in charge" (a.k.a. the PIC) in order to be sent back.
After a few interesting adventures across the country, the trio are traveling on a desolate highway, when Mikal pushes a button, miraculously activating the broken lights on Eugene's car. Shortly thereafter, they come upon a man lying in the middle of the dark road, and must veer off the road, wrecking the car, to avoid hitting him. They discover the man, Kneller (Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
), an eccentric commune
Commune
Commune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
leader of sorts, had fallen asleep while looking for his dog. He invites them back to his camp to rest for the night, where they quickly discover that minor "miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s" happen all the time, objects change color, people or objects float, and all "miracles" are initiated by the campers, only when they do not wish for, or care about them. The group stays with the camp longer than intended. Zia begins to obsess about the miracles, and his inability to perform them. When contrasting this to Mikal's obsession with the people in charge, she reveals the nature of the mistake. She accidentally overdosed on heroin
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
, with no intention of killing herself, and thus did not commit suicide. Eugene meets a young woman, Nanuk, whom he romances. Just as Mikal and Zia discuss their plans to leave Kneller's camp to resume their searches, another camper Yan (John Hawkes
John Hawkes (actor)
John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
) emerges from the woods with news of Kneller's dog Freddy, who he claims is being held hostage by "Messiah King" and his hundreds of followers. Kneller, Zia, Mikal, and Yan set off in search of King and Kneller's dog.
Along the way the group becomes lost, and end up bedding down for the night. Mikal and Zia, who are out gathering wood to keep a fire going, discover an ocean shore nearby, where they share a passionate night. In the morning, Kneller happens upon them lying together on the rocky shore littered with used condoms and syringes. The group continue and eventually reach King's camp, which is a large cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
compound filled with followers who are waiting for King to perform a "real" miracle – to separate his soul from his body. Kneller gains audience with King (Will Arnett
Will Arnett
William Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
) to get his dog back, where Zia finds his ex-girlfriend, Desiree, working with King. The two steal away briefly to talk and Zia learns that Desiree became a devout follower of King's teachings after his death, eventually committing suicide to follow King into the afterlife. King starts his ritual to perform his "miracle", taking his own life, again, while in the view of all those in his camp. As he dies, Kneller is seen cryptically speaking into a device calling for backup. Initially the crowd notices what they believe are angels parachuting in; however, as they land, vans and cars pull up, and it is revealed that the "angels" are in fact the PIC. The crowd is dispersed, Messiah and Desiree are taken away, and Mikal leaves with them, calling back to Zia she'll be back in five minutes. He sits down on a small stool, waiting till dark when Eugene and his lady friend pull up in their car. The group heads to a train station, where Eugene reveals that Kneller was an undercover agent for the PIC, but his camp has now been shut down. He also explains that Mikal's story was true and that the PIC are sending her back to life. Eugene and Nanuk depart on a small train car, leaving Zia with the keys to the car.
Zia returns to the car, obviously deep in thought over Mikal. He lights a cigarette, and when he releases a burning match, it floats up towards another one floating in the sky, sent there by Mikal earlier on in Kneller's camp, the two of them forming the only two 'stars' in the night sky. Zia has finally performed a miracle. He leaves, and when he is stopped at a railroad crossing, he drops a cassette in the black hole under the seat. As the train passes, it is revealed that Zia has climbed into the hole. The film cuts to a large warehouse filled with halls of boxes, Kneller is seen picking up Zia's file from a box, placing it into his inside breast pocket, and commenting on how fortunate it is to know people in high places. The film cuts back to Zia, who wakes up in a hospital bed. He turns his head, noting his parents outside a door talking to doctors. When he looks at the person in the bed next to his, he sees Mikal. Both look at each other and smile widely.
Cast
- Patrick FugitPatrick FugitPatrick Raymond Fugit is an American actor best known for his debut performance in the lead role of Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous.-Career:...
as Zia - Shannyn SossamonShannyn SossamonShannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon is an American actress. She starred in the film A Knight's Tale, which gained her wider fame and praise. She has since established herself in Hollywood after starring in several films such as 40 Days and 40 Nights, Wristcutters: A Love Story, and One Missed Call...
as Mikal - Shea WhighamShea WhighamFranklin Shea Whigham, Jr. , best known as Shea Whigham, is an American actor notably starring as Elias "Eli" Thompson on the HBO dramatic series Boardwalk Empire.-Early life:...
as Eugene - Leslie BibbLeslie BibbLeslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and former fashion model. She transitioned into film and television in late 1990s. She appeared in television shows such as Home Improvement , before she appeared in her first film, the comedy Private Parts , which was followed by her first show The Big Easy...
as Desiree Randolph - Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
as Kneller - Mark Boone, Jr.Mark Boone JuniorMark Boone Junior is an American actor perhaps best known for his roles as Bobby Munson in FX's Sons of Anarchy and in two films by Christopher Nolan, Memento and Batman Begins...
as Mike - Clayne CrawfordClayne CrawfordClayne Crawford is an American film actor with a few episodic television appearances. Crawford has appeared in such films as A Walk to Remember , Swimfan , A Love Song for Bobby Long and The Great Raid . He had a recurring role in the first season of Jericho as Mitchell "Mitch" Cafferty...
as Jim - Will ArnettWill ArnettWilliam Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
as Messiah King - Mary Pat GleasonMary Pat GleasonMary Pat Gleason is an American film and television actress. From 1983-85 she appeared on The Guiding Light as Jane Hogan.Since the early 1980s she has appeared on such television series as Full House, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest, L.A...
as Eugene's mother - Anatol Rezmeritza as Eugene's father
- Cameron Bowen as Kostya
- Chase EllisonChase EllisonChase Ellison is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Mysterious Skin and Tooth Fairy.-Life and career:...
as Kid Kostya - Abraham BenrubiAbraham BenrubiAbraham Rubin Hercules Benrubi is an American character actor known for his appearances as Jerry Markovic on the long-running U.S...
as Erik - John HawkesJohn Hawkes (actor)John Hawkes is an American film and television actor. He is known for his portrayal of the merchant Sol Star on the HBO series Deadwood, Dustin Powers on Eastbound & Down, and his Academy Award-nominated performance as the menacing backwoods meth addict Teardrop in Winter's Bone.-Life and...
as Yan - Anthony AziziAnthony AziziAnthony Azizi is an American television actor.Born in New York City of Iranian descent, Azizi is mainly known for his television work. He has had recurring roles on 24 as terrorist Mamud Faheen , on 24 as Rafique and on Commander in Chief as presidential aide Vince Taylor...
as Hassan - Sarah RoemerSarah RoemerSarah Christine Roemer is an American model and actress. She is best known for her roles in the films Disturbia, Asylum, and Fired Up!.-Life and career:...
as Rachel - Azura SkyeAzura SkyeAzura Skye is an American actress who first gained recognition for her role as Jane on The WB television sitcom, Zoe, Duncan, Jack and Jane...
as Tania - Mikal P. Lazarev as Nanuk
- Adam G. as Gas station attendant
- JazzmunJazzmunJazzmun is the stage name of Nichcalo Dion Crayton , an American actor and nightclub performer specializing in female impersonation in the Los Angeles area.-Background:...
and George Weiss Vando as Transvestites - Jake BuseyJake BuseyWilliam Jacob "Jake" Busey is an American actor, musician and film producer. He is sometimes credited as "Jacob Busey" or "William Busey".-Personal life:...
(uncredited) as Brian - Eddie SteeplesEddie SteeplesEddie Steeples is an American actor known for his roles as the "Rubberband Man" in an advertising campaign for OfficeMax, and as Darnell "Crab Man" Turner on the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl.-Overview:...
(uncredited) as Josh
Music
Gogol BordelloGogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
's music forms the backbone of the soundtrack for the film; the character Eugene is partly based on the band's lead singer, Eugene Hütz
Eugene Hütz
Eugene Hütz , September 6, 1972) is a Ukrainian-born singer and composer, most notable as the frontman of the critically acclaimed New York Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello. Hütz is also a DJ and actor.-Early life:...
. Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, who plays Kneller in the film, also appears on the soundtrack with the song "Dead and Lovely" (from his 2004 album Real Gone
Real Gone
Real Gone is an album by Tom Waits, released October 3, 2004 in Europe, and October 5 in United States on the ANTI- label.The album features some of the few political songs Waits has ever written, the most explicit being "Day After Tomorrow", a song Waits has described as an "elliptical" protest...
) in the opening credits. Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
's "Love Will Tear Us Apart
Love Will Tear Us Apart
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar...
" and Christian Death
Christian Death
Christian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....
's "Deathwish" can be heard in the background of the first bar scene of the film (both bands were fronted by singers who have committed suicide), and an arrangement of "Gloomy Sunday
Gloomy Sunday
"Gloomy Sunday" is a song composed by Hungarian pianist and composer Rezső Seress and published in 1933, as "Vége a világnak" . Lyrics were written by László Jávor, and in his version the song was retitled "Szomorú vasárnap"...
" can be heard at a later point, songs about or associated with suicide.
Reception
The film received a positive review in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, which named it a "Critics' Pick" and said in part that it "has an offbeat, absurdist
Absurdism
In philosophy, "The Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek value and meaning in life and the human inability to find any...
charm that turns a potentially creepy concept into an odd, touching adventure." As of July 2011, the film had a 66% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Awards
- Independent Spirit Award for Best First ScreenplayIndependent Spirit Award for Best First ScreenplayThe Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay is one of the annual awards given by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.-1990s:1994*David O...
– Nominee - Independent Spirit Award for Best First FeatureIndependent Spirit Award for Best First FeatureThe Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards. It is usually given to the director and producer . The "first feature" designation is applied to the director not the producer...
– Nominee - 2006 Sundance Film Festival2006 Sundance Film FestivalThe 2006 Sundance Film Festival was held from 19 January to 29 January 2006. It was held in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah; Ogden, Utah; and the Sundance Resort. It was the 22nd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival, and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the...
– Grand Jury Prize – Nominee - Seattle International Film Festival Awards – Best Director – Won
- Gen Art 06 – Best Feature Film – Won
- Philadelphia 06 – Best First Feature – Won
- Humanitas PrizeHumanitas PrizeThe Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious...
2006 – Best Screenplay – Nominee - Motovun Film FestivalMotovun Film FestivalMotovun Film Festival is an annual film festival established in 1999 and held in Motovun, Croatia. It usually takes place over 5–6 days in late July or early August...
2006 – Best Film Audience Award – Won - The screenplay was an official Selection of the 2004 SundanceSundanceSundance Resort is a ski resort located northeast of Provo, Utah, spanning over on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos in Utah's Wasatch Range. Snow skiing began on the site in 1944...
Screenwriter's Lab.